Building Walls

 

Every night before I fall asleep, I listen to an app that reads a few comforting Scripture passages and then invites me to reflect on my day. It asks where I saw God, and it nudges me to acknowledge where I sinned—in my thoughts, my words, or my deeds. And then, beautifully, it points me back to the forgiveness God freely gives, washing me clean for a fresh start tomorrow.

It’s amazing how quickly peace follows, and how easily I drift off afterward.

But tonight’s reflection revealed something uncomfortable: today I built walls. Not with wood or stone—

with words.

The First Bricks

It started with simple phrases:

• “He always—”
• “She always—”
• “They always—”

Those words became the foundation of a separating wall. Then came the bricks of “evidence” I stacked on top—stories, patterns, memories that “proved” I was right. And if I don’t stop, if I don’t confess and turn from it, that wall grows until it becomes nearly impossible to cross.

Words can do that. They can divide faster than we ever intended.

How Walls Become Dangerous

I’ve often wondered how ordinary people in Germany came to believe it was acceptable to treat Jewish people so horrifically in WWII. Recently I read an article saying it began with dehumanizing language. Slowly, people became desensitized. They began referring to whole groups of people with degrading names—infestations, pigs, and worse. Words paved the way for cruelty.

But I believe the process starts even earlier.

Not with dehumanizing.

Not with overt hatred.

But with something much quieter:

“She always—”

“They always—”

It begins with categorizing, grouping, simplifying people so we don’t have to deal with them as individuals. How many times have I lumped together people who irritated me, just so I could dismiss them more easily?

The Endless List of Categories

We do this all the time:

Boomers, millennials, left-wingers, right-wingers, white men, Asians, Arabs, Black women, cat lovers, dog lovers, pizza lovers.

And if there’s a category I haven’t thought of, I can find it online within seconds.

Recently I even discovered that I apparently fall into the category of “neurodivergent” instead of “neurotypical.” Go figure—I didn’t know, but now I’m pretty sure someone wants to sell me the T-shirt.

Categories can make us feel better, or special, or different. But they also highlight how unlike others we are. They unintentionally (or intentionally) erode unity and understanding. They give us more bricks for our walls.

And ultimately, they make us forget this one truth:

We are all uniquely designed.

We all belong to the same category: “created by God.”

Breaking Down the Walls

So what do we do once we notice the walls rising in our own hearts?

We confess.

We come before God—honestly, humbly—and ask Him to forgive the dividing lines we’ve drawn.

And we do it early, before the walls harden. That’s the only way to take the next step toward building real relationships with the people we once criticized.

In Acts 8:26–39, Philip stopped to listen to the questions of a curious Ethiopian eunuch. That encounter changed a life—and spread the gospel to a new continent. But it would never have happened if Philip had dismissed the eunuch as “one of those people.” Philip didn’t build walls. He built bridges.

A Prayer for a Softer Heart

Father, forgive me for the many times I round up those who have stepped on my toes and toss them into a labeled bag, only to discard them. They are Your children. Show me when that wall-building begins—when I start with “they always—.” And Lord, I know this is a big ask, but please give me a holy nudge, a virtual knot on the head, whenever those thoughts or words rise up. Amen.

Glimpses of Power and Glory

What a strange month this has been.

Where is the blazing, sunny, miserable weather we call July in Texas? It seems I’ve spent most of the summer studying radar maps and watching flooding videos. It’s all quite bizarre.

Today, as the deep gray sky covers the sunrise and raindrops fall on my roof, I’m reminded of all the tears shed over massive losses.

Why so much destruction?

I’m amazed at the amount of junk dislodged and driven downstream. Why am I mesmerized by those videos? It’s like staring at a wreck—I can’t seem to look away.

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The Need to Understand

I feel the need to defend my God when I see such overwhelming destruction—destruction He alone could have stopped. I want to explain how He works and why.

But who am I to know the heart of the Creator? Who am I to try to assign simplistic explanations to the mystery of the great I Am?

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A Strange Kind of Comfort

Watching the raw force of water gives me a glimpse of God’s power. This uncontrollable, brown current is enough to bow my prideful knee and stiff-necked head. Awestruck, I realize this is only a fingerprint of His might.

Oddly enough, it comforts me to realize that neither I nor any elected official is in control. My daily worries don’t seem so important in light of that truth. I’m just a blade of grass—here today and gone tomorrow—riding this planet for a limited but unknown number of days.

He designed this planet—its rivers, valleys, and oceans—and then gave us the gift of dominion over it. We were called to care for His creation. How deeply He must love us to entrust such majesty into our hands.

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Look for the Helpers

I was recently reminded of Fred Rogers’ advice: “Look for the helpers.”

When I do, I see God’s compassion at work. Helpers step into chaos, trying to restore normalcy after the floods. It is His Spirit within them that drives them to serve those most devastated by the raging, junk-filled waters.

In moments like these, it’s undeniably clear that God has placed His Spirit in us. We send food, money, and support—often more than the recipients can receive. And somehow, it’s easier to see God in others during these moments.

Maybe it’s because we’ve finally stopped to look.

Maybe it’s because we’re usually too busy to notice.

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A Quiet Challenge

It’s sad that it takes loss and despair to see the Holy Spirit in ourselves and in others. Are we only moved in crisis to be His hands and feet? Or is His Spirit always present—and we just don’t pause to notice?

Must devastation wrench my eyes away from my trivial pursuits? Why don’t I feel this same desire to help the hurting on a sunny day at the beach?

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A Simple Prayer

Lord, help me listen for Your voice when the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming. Give me eyes to see and meet need without the help of 24/7 news of devastation.

Stained Glass Not Required

 

If you saw that picture above and thought how much you would like a grilled cheese, you are my people. More heavenly minded folks saw an image of Jesus in this sandwich. There are often reports of someone seeing the image of Jesus in a potato chip, tortilla or a cloud. I haven’t ever seen the image of Jesus in my toast but if we love God we should experience him in other ways. The question is this: Is encountering Jesus in our daily walk just for the super-religious? 

Have you ever imitated the walk of someone who you consider godly, in the hope of having a better connection to God? I have. And it doesn’t work. We shouldn’t be discouraged when we don’t experience Jesus like others do. We are individualized, unique creations. If I see the fingerprint of God in snowflakes you may see a reason to dread the cold day. Don’t assume that you are less saintly because you don’t see God’s fingerprint in the same thing as someone else does. In fact, we need to quit labeling people as holy and not so holy. Don’t assume you are too worldly to ever see him, let alone have a conversation with him. All God’s children have the capability to experience Christ walking with us through our day. But each in his own way. 

One of the great hymns, I Need Thee Every Hour, was written by 37-year-old homemaker Annie Hawks, while doing her household chores. If you listened to the link above, you know she must have been inspired by God to write those words. Stained glass and sacrifice is not required to communicate with our Savior. We don’t have to be a missionary to Africa, and we don’t have to attend church (although a good church equips us to experience him). We don’t have to change our lives to be fit for him. Jesus comes to us right where we are even if we are just a regular work-a-day Joe without visions of Christ in our cornbread. 

How do I know? The Bible tells me so. In those stories, Jesus came to folks interrupting their sin-filled daily life: Getting water at a well, climbing up in a tree, begging for money, touching Jesus’ clothes in a crowd-packed street, facing stoning by judgmental interrogators, having a bad day of work fishing, being outcast from society for leprosy, stealing money in the form of excessive taxes, and dying on a cross as a convicted thief. Each of these not only saw and spoke to Jesus, they encountered him. “But of course they saw Jesus,” we say, “they had a physical flesh and blood person walking around doing miracles and we only have a spooky Holy Ghost!”

How can I “see” Jesus when he can’t be seen with my eyes? I have to remind myself that many who saw Jesus in flesh didn’t recognize him. Consider that pride-filled rich young ruler. He was standing in front of Jesus in the flesh having a discussion and didn’t see or accept what Jesus was saying to him. So even though Jesus was physically right in front of folks, many didn’t believe their eyes. 

What was the barrier for that rich guy? I have often wondered what made some believe and follow and some walk away unchanged. For that guy, I don’t think the barrier was being rich, young or a ruler. My best guess is that it has to do with attitude of the heart. Those who encountered Christ, have one thing in common. They humbled their hearts. They saw and experienced Jesus’ compassion when they were humble and desperate enough to listen. Pride has no place in the Kingdom of God. 

Or maybe the rich young ruler was too busy to listen. Maybe he was thinking about his next business deal and thought he would impress the client if he had a conversation with Jesus. So another barrier, I think, is busyness. I don’t encounter God when my to-do list is full of plans for the next step. It is only when I make an effort for a time of no commitment or distractions and ruthlessly eliminate hurry that I most often experience God’s goodness. 

Since Jesus is not flesh and blood walking among us, we cannot rely on our sight to see him. We need to encounter him in other ways. Holiness and stained glass is not required to hear from the God of the Universe. The Father loves us dearly and he seeks us all. Not everyone has a blinding light experience like Saul/Paul. Yet even he had to be teachable to accept what God had in store for him.

Cars and Jesus

 

I said a sad goodbye to my little blue Jeep Wrangler after ten years of driving her. She had not one bell or whistle but I loved that about her. She had hand-crank roll up windows, and if you wanted to lock her, you reached over to the other side of the Jeep and physically pushed the lock. In her place I got a 2025 Explorer with ALL the bells and whistles. Dora can do so much more than I ever thought about. No, she doesn’t do my taxes, but I unwittingly discovered that she can drive herself. I was driving down I45 to see my daughter in Galveston and set my cruise control. The steering got really stiff and messages popped up on the large display in front of me stating that she was hands-free driving. 

At first I didn’t let go of the wheel. But I gradually loosened my grip noticing that she was staying right between the lines better than I ever could. Then I took the leap. When there were no cars around and a straight road, I let go to grab a piece of gum and unwrapped it. She stayed on track perfectly. I kept experimenting with letting go and each time she was flawlessly driving. A car dodged in front of me and she slowed down and maintained a safe space between us. Eventually when driving home through Houston on a quiet, slow-traffic Sunday morning, I let her drive. Since I absolutely hate driving with a passion, I found Dora’s talent quite freeing. A month later I received a message from Ford saying that my free subscription to hands-free-driving had expired. Lol, it was fun while it lasted. 

This description of driving wasn’t just to brag about my new car, although I obviously did. It was for an illustration. You have probably heard the song by Carrie Underwood, Jesus Take the Wheel. Well this hands-free driving gave me a better taste of what it takes to let go and let God steer me. 

The Bible doesn’t say, God helps those who help themselves. However it says a lot of things about giving total control to Him. The Bible doesn’t say if we reach deep in ourselves we can handle anything life throws at us. It says life is tough and to rely on the Holy Spirit within us. The Bible doesn’t say we are perfect as we are and don’t need help. It says that we are all sinners and are in need of a Savior. 

So here is my simplistic analogy: First I must admit that I cannot steer my own life perfectly, I am tired of the effort, and I need help. Then I must realize that I have been given the help I so badly need in the form of the Holy Spirit within me. Next I must test this out by slowly letting go. I must quit working so hard at making myself do and say the right things, relying on the gift of a greater power inside me. Last, like my hands-free driving experience, I can peacefully relax knowing God loves me and is holding me 24/7. Oh the freedom is liberating! And the subscription? It comes when we love Him. 

The Facade

 Far too often I have stomped my foot and said “I will never”.  No one has ever said to me, “You know, you need to be more decisive.” But through these last few years I have discovered a beauty and growth that changing my mind can bring about. 

At the ripe old age of ten, I thought it would be beyond horrible to live in a stucco house. Then my family moved to New Mexico. Since then I have been blessed to live in many stucco houses including the one I live in now. Looking back I see how silly I was. I see now how my own rules and preferences limited my choices for no reason. How many blessings have I missed because of my silly personal rules and pig-headed mindset? 

In the Bible, being stiff-necked is not a desirable attitude. So why do we often see flexibility and changing our mind as a personality flaw? We unflatteringly label those who change their minds as wishy-washy. We forget that listening to the Holy Spirit to guide us requires a pliable mindset. Instead of drawing so many lines in the sand maybe we could open the door to be blessed with friendship, joy and new perspectives. 

We laugh about the ridiculous number of rules that the Jewish Pharisees followed but how many do we try to follow to live in polite society? Never double dip; always answer I’m fine how are you; answer yes ma’am and yes sir; wipe your feet before you walk in the door; tip the wait staff; wipe down the shower door after you use it; pick up the dog poop when you walk your dog; open the door for people; offer to help in the kitchen; give your seat to those who are elderly and this list could continue to well over 613! Rules we follow in polite society can be overwhelming. But these are not the rules that this blog is about. It is about those personally chosen inner rules. 

It is about the ones that sound like “I won’t ever”. The “I won’t evers” cover choices about what we eat, drink, drive, and where we live, what we do for a living, who we hang out with, church attendance, schools we attend, clothes we wear and our favorite pastimes. All of these things are legitimate choices we have to make. 

What if we removed all the “I will never” lines we made in the sand? Would we turn into a bunch of liberal hippies living in a commune or would we be more open to what the Holy Spirit has in store for us? What if we considered eating something that we have sworn we would never eat? What if we considered going to a church we said we would never attend, going to a school that is not special or elite, wearing an outfit that doesn’t suit our age, hanging out with someone with whom we wouldn’t normally associate, driving a vehicle from that company that we don’t like or taking a new job living somewhere we never would consider. Would that make us out of control or would that allow the Holy Spirit to shine through making us happier people with lots of choices? Many times the rules we make for ourselves are the toughest ones to break. They are a prison of our choosing. 

Blessed, broken and forgiven: These are the actions Jesus made when he initiated the covenant of the last supper. He does the blessing and forgiving. Maybe we need to spend a little more time on the truth of our brokenness. If, like me, you have always seen changing your mind as a weakness, maybe it is time that you take the first step to stop the facade of strength, and begin living in truth as flexible, broken, forgiven and joyful. 

Skibidi Ohio and Doo Wop

 I once heard a story of Oprah that said she quit following the Christian faith when she read scripture that said God is a jealous God. She said that she couldn’t follow anyone who said they were jealous. I have no idea if this story is true but I get it. No one would want to follow a God that was jealous in the sense of the word that we currently understand. But if this story is true, what she didn’t consider was the meaning behind the interpreted word, jealous.

Much like the title of this blog, jealous is an easily misunderstood stump-the-band kind of word. And to make it more difficult, this same English word bears different meanings in different parts of the Bible. Its use in describing God in Exodus and Zechariah is very different from its use in 1 Corinthians that tells us love is not jealous.

Our present day understanding of jealousness bears the following synonyms.

envious, covetous, resentful, begrudging, bitter, malicious, spiteful, greedy, selfish

This is not my understanding of God! After a bit of searching, I found the biblical meaning in a footnote in the Amplified version of the Bible.

“There is no implication of envy in the ‘jealousy’ of God, but rather the boundless enthusiasm of the Lord which loves holiness, hates sin, brings judgment upon sinners, and intervenes on behalf of His godly ones.” ~Charles Feinberg, God Remembers.

Am I adept in ancient Hebrew? Do I have a degree in theology? No and no. I simply listened to the Voice that told me my current-day understanding was wrong and investigated using tools that anyone can access today. I stopped reading and searched these tools. I didn’t leave this passage until I found the answer from a trusted source that was in line with the God that I know. 

As I understand it, interpreting ancient texts is nothing like translating from one language to another present day language. When my understanding of new Gen Z terms like “skibidi Ohio” is sketchy, how can text from over 3000 years ago be easy to decipher? Imagine how someone 2000 years from now would understand the title of this article.

I must rely on people who study this ancient language for a living. One theologian (I can’t remember who), said that the Bible was a collection of works by inspired authors about their view of God from their place in history, each like a facet of a gemstone. So to understand scripture I must immerse myself in the culture of the author and read it from that perspective. 

Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel, although some parts like Esther are more readable than others. It is rather, a seeking-type reading. I must be careful not to pluck scripture out of context of the culture in which it was written and apply it to support my opinion. I am sure I have done this in my lifetime and I believe that those who do this publicly on social media will be held accountable for this someday, even if it is a click-of-the-button repost. 

I have an understanding of the character of God that came about over 65 years of sermons, prayers, Bible lessons and experiences. But I still need to slow down when I read the Bible. I still need to seek out meaning and not take everything at face value. I still need to listen to scholars who study the ancient text. But most of all, I need to listen to the Voice that tells me when I am getting it wrong and approach the Bible with an open heart and prayer.

Are You Clark Kent or Superman?

 The goal is up there, just over the horizon. But in between are dark valleys, massive mountains, and narrow slippery switchback roads. So I crank up the radio, hold the steering wheel with a death grip and maneuver around the beast of a bolder that is right in front of me.

This is how I have approached 99% of my life as a Christian. This is a try-harder style of Christianity; in other words: legalism. Following the rules while juggling elephants. I know legalism is a big issue with Jesus, so maybe I should re-think this route. Maybe I am wasting my time on all these switchbacks and narrow roads. Maybe I should simply use the big paved highway and wait for the get-out-of-hell-free card. But Jesus made it clear that I was not to take the easy way. Far from it!

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

We shouldn’t be surprised by the difficulty of our journey. I’m still juggling elephants here. We all are. We need help, Lord! But I must remember, the Father knows what I need. He knows my challenges. He has walked my walk in flesh. That is why he sent power for this difficult road in the form of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus told the disciples multiple times that he was sending help.

John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever---the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 20:21-22 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

The Good News is we do not have to white knuckle our lives as Christians! What He gave to the disciples, he gives to every follower of Christ. We have been given a beautiful gift from our Father and it is our superpower. Why should we try to conquer our day as Clark Kent when we can simply rely on our God-given superpowers? So where is the phone booth? I’m ready to rely on his superpower. What do I have to do to engage it? Is there a magic word? Where do I begin? It is made quite clear in the Bible that we receive the Holy Spirit when we believe but living by the Holy Spirit does not come naturally to us.

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Engaging the power steering is to humble ourselves and admit to God that we cannot do this on our own. It is an attitude. To that I whine, “Not humility! Anything but that. Are you sure about that? I don’t remember that verse.”

God demanded a humble quiet spirit from the get-go. When I searched, I found so many examples of God’s expectation of humility starting in Genesis going through to Revelation. Look at the life of Jesus. Humility was always in the forefront and in the background. Here are a handful of the many examples that I found in my search.

To Pharaoh God said:

Exodus 10:3 “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?

The Lord said to King Solomon:

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

King David notes this about God.

2 Samuel 22:28 You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

Psalm 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

The prophet Isaiah notes over and over about being humble.

Isaiah 29:19 Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Jesus said:

Matthew 23:12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

The Apostle Paul instructs:

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

And a description Jesus’ life on Earth:

Philippians 2:6-11 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here is instruction from James, the half-brother of Christ:

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

And finally I leave you with the words of the Apostle Peter who probably struggled with pride as much as anyone.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

So I can see that the requirement for humility cannot be denied. It is a prerequisite to living a life pleasing to God. He wants us to step into that phone booth daily, let go of our pride, lay down our elephants, humble ourselves before the him and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to lead our life in his superpower strength. Then tomorrow morning when I wake up as Clark Kent, I will gratefully remember the way that God managed my elephants without my effort and I will step into that phone booth again.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

For encouragement listen to this song. Letting go is step one.